House Initiates Action on Data Quality

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Data Quality

House Initiates Action on Data Quality
Based upon the recommendations of CRE, the House incorporated a Data Quality provision in the report accompanying the FY 1999 Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act (H.R. 4104) that urged OMB to develop policy and procedural guidance to federal agencies in order to ensure and maximize the "quality," "objectivity," "utility," and "integrity" of information which the federal government disseminates to the pubic. The Senate followed the House's lead, and relevant Data Quality language was included in the conference report related to this legislation. This non-binding report language was enacted as part of Public Law 105-277.

The House later incorporated nearly identical but mandatory language in the FY 2001 Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act (H.R. 5658 ) which statutorily directs OMB to issue guidelines for Data Quality. This provision has been incorporated in the FY 2001 Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 4577).

CRE strongly supports and anticipates passage of this important provision that will set government-wide standards for information quality, including the opportunity to petition agencies for the correction of information that does not meet such standards.

Read about the House Bill 4104 and House Report 105-592 (June 22, 1998)

Read about Conference Report 105-789 (October 7, 1998)

Read about the House Bill 5658 (December 14, 2000)

Click about the House Bill 4577 (June 1, 2000) and Conference Report 106-1033
(December 15, 2000)

Read CRE's Legislative Working Papers on Data Access and Data Quality.

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DATA QUALITY LEGISLATIVE LANGUAGE

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House Bill 4104 and House Report 105-592 (June 22, 1998)

On June 22, 1998, the FY 1999 Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act (H.R. 4104) was reported in the House, accompanied by House Report No. 105-592. The House report contained important provisions designed to ensure the quality of federal government information. This non-binding provision was ultimately enacted as part of the FY 1999 Omnibus Appropriations Act (Pub. Law No. 105-277).

House Report No. 105-592 states at pages 49-50:

RELIABILITY AND DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION

The Committee urges the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to develop, with public and Federal agency involvement, rules providing policy and procedural guidance to Federal agencies for ensuring and maximizing the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of information (including statistical information) disseminated by Federal agencies, and information disseminated by non-Federal entities with financial support from the Federal government, in fulfillment of the purposes and provision of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (P.L. 104-13). The Committee expects issuance of these rules by September 30, 1999. The OMB rules shall also cover the sharing of, and access to, the aforementioned data and information, by members of the public. Such OMB rules shall require Federal agencies to develop, within one year and with public participation, their own rules consistent with the OMB rules. The OMB and agency rules shall contain administrative mechanisms allowing affected persons to petition for correction of information which does not comply with such rules; and the OMB rules shall contain provisions requiring the agencies to report to OMB periodically regarding the number and nature of petitions or complaints regarding Federal, or Federally-supported, information dissemination, and how such petitions and complaints were handled. OMB shall report to the Committee on the status of implementation of these directives no later than September 30, 1999.

Conference Report 105-789 (October 7, 1998)

The House and Senate versions of the FY 1999 Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act were merged in H.R. 4104 on September 3 (legislative day, August 31) 1998. The bill was ultimately sent to a Conference Committee to resolve any differences between the House and Senate versions of the Act. Conference Report 105-789 incorporated the provisions in the House and Senate Reports discussed above.

The Joint Explanatory Statement to Conference Report 105-789 (Congressional Record 10/19/98, 11508, 1^st col.) provides in relevant part:

The conference agreement on the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act, 1999, incorporates some of the language and allocations set forth in House Report 105-592 and Senate Report 105-251. The language in these reports should be complied with unless specifically addressed in the accompanying statement of managers.

House Bill 5658 (December 14, 2000)

On December 14, 2000, the FY 2001 Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act (H.R. 5658) was reported in the House. The House report again contained important provisions designed to ensure the quality of federal government information; however, this time its provisions were mandatory.

H.R. 5658 section 515 states:

SEC. 515. (a) IN GENERAL- The Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall, by not later than September 30, 2001, and with public and Federal agency involvement, issue guidelines under sections 3504(d)(1) and 3516 of title 44, United States Code, that provide policy and procedural guidance to Federal agencies for ensuring and maximizing the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of information (including statistical information) disseminated by Federal agencies in fulfillment of the purposes and provisions of chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code, commonly referred to as the Paperwork Reduction Act.

(b) CONTENT OF GUIDELINES- The guidelines under subsection (a) shall-

(1) apply to the sharing by Federal agencies of, and access to, information disseminated by Federal agencies; and

(2) require that each Federal agency to which the guidelines apply--

(A) issue guidelines ensuring and maximizing the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of information (including statistical information) disseminated by the agency, by not later than 1 year after the date of issuance of the guidelines under subsection (a);

(B) establish administrative mechanisms allowing affected persons to seek and obtain correction of information maintained and disseminated by the agency that does not comply with the guidelines issued under subsection (a); and

(i) the number and nature of complaints received by the agency regarding the accuracy of information disseminated by the agency; and

(ii) how such complaints were handled by the agency.

House Bill 4577 (June 1, 2000) and Conference Report 106-1033 (December 15, 2000)

H.R. 4577, which became the FY 2001 Consolidated Appropriations Act, ultimately had several other legislative appropriations measured rolled into it late in the Congressional session, including H.R. 5658. The identical Data Quality provision reported in H.R. 5658 is repeated in Title V of H.R. 4577. Consider the following language from Conference Report 106-1033.

JOINT EXPLANATORY STATEMENT OF THE COMMITTEE OF CONFERENCE

The managers on the part of the House and Senate at the conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on the amendment of the Senate to the bill (H.R. 4577) making appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies, and for other purposes, submit the following joint statement of the House and Senate in explanation of the effect of the action agreed upon by the managers and recommended in the accompanying conference report.

This conference agreement includes more than the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2001. The conference agreement has been expanded to including the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2001; the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act, 2001;...

(emphasis added)